The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-27

THE METROPOLIS OF THE PACIFIC
The Corruption Of tho Public Service gain
q suggests a Resort to tho Vigilance, Com.

suggehts lsesoft 10 tho sisainhsos Sohi'
lmittee. NhfT9 X y.
Ban Francisco Is doubtless one Of the |
most cosmopolitan cities In the world.
While, Of couroe, tho larger per cent Of
her population Ia dlstinctively American,
the remainder 10 mado up OF q relatively
larger proportion Of foreigners Of different
nationality than perhaps any city on the
face OF the globe. Several cauoes con.
spircd to this result. When the discovery
OF Calliornla'a rich gold fields electrified
the world, the people Of tho United States
had little advantage over thoGe Of Europe
or Aeia In participating In the grand ruah
that Immediately followed.
As o consequence, within lesa than
twelve months from the day that Marshall
picked up the shining nugget In Captain
Suffers millrscs at Coloma, vessels Ct.
every civilized nation have cast their an.
chors In the waters Of San Francisco bay,
and the metropolitan city oil tho Pacific
Coast OF North America gprang forth as II
by magic from a few Spanish adobe huts
scattered over rugged, sterlle.looking
naturalto suppose, the unexamplod oppor.
tunitles for acquiring fortunes attracted
the very worst element III mankind from
every quarter, as we'll 80 many Of the best.
! OF this conglomerstion OF individuals was
San yFrancisco'a foundation hid. The
crude lava OF the period were but partial.
/ ly enforced, 80 that by tho spring Of 1851
tho prevalence Of crime became so great
that tho good citizens Of that city were
confronted with the choice Of leaving the
country or driving from their midst the
pestiferous element. s, " I'd FIN
They chose tho latter alternative, band.
Ing together under the nsme Of Vigilance
Committee, and by hanging and Danish.
ing q number Of the leading outlaws,
, Hocicty was measursbly improved. But
euch q condition wan no! destined to long
continue. The attractions of California
were too numerous 10 bs held in undis.
i pu!ed sway by the yirtuously inclined.
+, III 1866 they had tho same alter.
natives to choose from that faced them
five years previous. And sgsin the people
rallied to the standard, Of seli.protection
under tho banner OF the Vigilance Com.
mitteo. This time such an eifecsual puri.
hcation followed the vigorous action Of
tho Committee in the punishment Of
criminals that tor ten ye0rn San tranclEco
| came to be regarded rs one OF the best
, governed cities In America. a. As. 5,
Since the expiration OF tho millennial
period, expenses have gradually increased,
until now the city costs ut least twice OF
!, thrice what 1t would ccst under prudent
management, The corruption Of the pub.
: lie service has become go gres. thai
, thought Is again being turned toward the
!. organization Of Vigilance Committee 30
? the most eTectusl means Of relief. This
sentiment IL voiced by q leading jourpsl
of the city. Doubtless the recent appear.
ance Of Bancrofs's volumes on the "Popu.
lar Tribunals OF the Pacific Coast" &C.
( knowlsdged to be the most able and ex
!, hsustive treatise ever issned on this sub.
ject, has had much to do In suggesting to
the public mind this remedy, which
proved so adequate OH similar occnsione
, to which we have herein briefly alluded